Police responded to a call of a dog attack at about 2:20 p.m. Sunday from 26 Rena St. SW, and found the boy sitting on his steps with bites to his arms and legs, according to the police incident report.

Witnesses told police the incident occurred when the boy exited his home, which is next door to the dog owner's home, and walked east down the sidewalk. When he passed the dog, it crouched down as if to attack the boy – though it did not.

After a while, the boy returned walking west past the dog. The dog again crouched down as if to attack the boy, but this time it lunged and broke its chain.

Neighbors and passersby gave conflicting accounts of whether the dog or other pit bulls at the home were usually aggressive or if they are frequently provoked.

The dog’s owner, Angela Minard, told police that neighbors have been antagonizing the pit bull, named Blue, by poking at it and throwing things.

She said although she disputes the term “attack” and the circumstances surrounding the biting, she doesn’t feel the dog’s response was right.

“I am devastated that my dog bit someone,” she said. “It’s a good kid, a good dog. It’s just a terrible type of situation.”

The dog has been ordered to be quarantined and Minard was cited for the incident, according to the police report.

The dog will be quarantined for 10 days. Although the dog was initially supposed to be kept at Minard's home, Kent County Animal Control has since removed the dog for quarantine at the shelter, said spokeswoman Lisa LaPlante.